Just Label It, News Overview 1-26

Monsanto contended research conducted for the World Health Organization wrongly categorized glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. Are there pesticide residues on your food? Some produce is worse than others, so it pays to know which ones have the most chemicals. On Jan. 16, some of the country’s leading producers, retailers, and certifiers in the organic food space took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post to publish an open letter. The federal government’s top fisheries experts say that three widely used pesticides – including the controversial insecticide chlorpyrifos – are jeopardizing the survival of many species of salmon, as well as orcas that feed on those salmon. Arsenic is in rice – should you worry? In EWG’s view, the answer is yes. And toxic plastic chemicals are still sneaking into the food you eat. Phthalates are industrial compounds used to make vinyl plastic malleable and are also used as fragrance solvents and fixatives in body care products.

In the waning days of 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency quietly announced it had concluded that Roundup does not cause cancer. And this month, 11 state attorneys general announced they’re backing Monsanto’s push to kill a California regulation that will require cancer warnings on glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient. Monsanto contends research conducted for the World Health Organization wrongly determined glyphosate to be a probable carcinogen.

Can you escape the presence of pesticides on foods, and is it always worth it to shell out the money for organics? Some produce is worse than others, so it pays to know which ones have the most chemicals.

The U.S. organic food movement, representing dozens of brands, thousands of organic farmers and millions of organic consumers, as well as retailers, certifiers, and organizations, has published an open letter in the Washington Post. The cosigners are demanding that the USDA stop interfering with the public process that has created clear standards for animal welfare in organic food production.

The federal government’s top fisheries experts say that three widely used pesticides — including the controversial insecticide chlorpyrifos — are jeopardizing the survival of many species of salmon, as well as orcas that feed on those salmon.

It used to be that if you wanted your baby to eat organic, you had to spend several hours in the kitchen making your own baby food. But according to a new report from Allied Market Research, the organic baby food market is projected to more than double in the next few years, from nearly $6 billion in 2016 to more than $11 billion in 2023.

In EWG’s view, the answer is yes. Federal government scientists and regulators and food industry officials are scrambling to respond to emerging evidence that arsenic, a known human carcinogen, contaminates many otherwise healthy foods that contain rice. EWG scientists have concluded that consumers should shop vigilantly, choosing foods selectively to lower their chances of consuming excessive arsenic. That’s why EWG’s Food Scores flags arsenic as a “concern” in rice-based products.

Toxic plastic chemicals are still sneaking into the food you eat. Phthalates are industrial compounds used to make vinyl plastic malleable and are also used as fragrance solvents and fixatives in body care products. They’re potent hormone disruptors. They can alter the reproductive development of male infants and are associated with sperm damage in adult men. Children exposed to phthalates in early life can undergo behavioral changes and develop allergies.